Comb rack



J. A. DI TIRRO Feb. 8, 1966 COMB RACK Filed March 23, 1964 INVENTOR. JOEA. Di TIRRO ATTYS.

United States Patent Oil-ice Pateme, ,ffffii:

3,233,743 COMB RACK Joe A. Di Tirro, Schofield Bldg, Cleveland, OhioFiled Mar. 23, 1964, Ser. No. 354,066 2 Claims. (Cl. 211-65) Thisapplication is a continaution-in-part of application Serial No. 101,110,filed April 6, 1961.

This invention generally relates to a comb supporting device. Moreparticularly, the invention relates to a molded plastic holder which isspecifically designed for supporting combs but adapted to support otherarticles as well. The device may be removably mounted upon a wall or thelike so that it can be removed and placed out of sight in a drawer, orpacked for traveling.

It has been proposed heretofore to support combs, toothbrushes, andother related articles on wall or similar racks, but such known meansare relatively complicated or expensive. Further, such prior art devicesare not adapted for supporting a plurality of combs of different sizes.Also, many of the known supporting devices have not been met withsuccess because the articles could not be easily inserted and retainedtherein, regardless of the position of the device.

It is a general object of the invention to alleviate the foregoing andother objections to prior art devices.

Another object is to provide a relatively simple, inexpensive, andeasily mounted wall or drawer rack for carrying a plurality of combs ina readily accessible manner.

Another object of the invention is to provide a support or rack whichwill hold a plurality of combs of varying lengths.

Another object of the invention is to provide a movable support whichwill resiliently retain a plurality of combs.

Another object of the invention is to provide a support for a pluralityof combs and other related articles which may be removably mounted upona wall or in a drawer.

Another object of the invention is to provide a support which willresiliently retain a plurality of combs mounted therein regardless ofthe position thereof.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a molded combsupporting rack which is removably mounted on a bracket secured to awall or to a portion of a drawer, by pressure sensitive adhesive orother suitable means.

The foregoing and other objects of the invention will become apparentfrom the following description of the invention.

The invention generally comprises a molded one piece box-like rackhaving a pair of parallel integral sides and back and adapted to bemounted in vertical planes. The spaced sides include cooperating pairsof, downwardly inclined horizontally aligned slots. The edges of theslots are somewhat tapered to facilitate stabbing a comb therein.

For a better understanding of the invention, reference should be had tothe accompanying drawings wherein like reference numerals indicatecorresponding parts.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of one embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 2. is an enlarged fragmentary cross-sectional view takensubstantially on line 22 of FIG. 1, showing the tapered edge of the slotand the manner in which the teeth of the comb cooperate with the slot;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary cross-sectional view takensubstantially on line 3-3 of FIG. 1.

In the drawings, the numeral 16 indicates generally the articlesupporting device of the present invention. The device comprises asubstantially rectangular, washable boxlike form which may be made froma relatively thin molded plastic of any suitable type. The device includes a back 12, ends 14, bottom 16, and top 18, all molded integrallytogether. The top 18 may have a decorative flange Z0 molded around bothends and the back thereof to improve the appearance.

The ends 14 are provided with a plurality of vertically spaceddownwardly inclined notches 22 on the forward vertical edges thereof;the notches normally extending inwardly a depth equal to about /2 of thelength of the teeth of an ordinary comb. The front edges of the endwalls 14 are slightly tapered, as indicated at 24, to facilitatestabbing the comb teeth over the front edges of the end walls. Thebottom of the notches are also tapered to facilitate stabbing the teethof the comb into the notches.

While preferably the article 10 is made in one piece, it may be madefrom several pieces of suitable material secured together byconventional means.

The notches 22 on each of the end walls 14 are aligned horizontally in aplurality of pairs. Each pair of notches cooperate to receive a comb 28which is positioned with its teeth toward the pair of notches, andtilted so that the plane of the comb is generally aligned with thedownward direction of each pair of notches. The comb is placed in therack by stabbing the teeth down into the notches in the manner shown inFIG. 1 in perspective and in greater detail in FIG. 2.

FIG. 2 illustrates how the teeth 27 of the comb 28 are stabbed down intothe notch 22 and thereby resiliently sprung out from the back of thecomb 28. The resiliency of the teeth 27 function to frictionally holdthe comb in its stabbed position in each pair of notches. In this regardit is significant to note that the device may be removed from the walland inverted without releasing the combs. This is important because itallows the device, with the combs, etc., mounted therein to be easilyremoved from the Wall and placed in a suitcase, drawer, etc.

While FIG. 1 of the drawing illustrates only one comb 28 positioned onthe holding device, it will be understood that a plurality of othercombs can be mounted in the remaining pairs of notches on the holder.Also, the device is capable of receiving combs of various lengths andsizes and of different combtooth spacing. Additionally, a greater numberof pairs of notches can be provided in the end walls 14, as will beevident. It is the coaction between the tapered surfaces on the edges ofthe slots and the resiliency of the teeth of the comb that yield theunusual results.

In the particular embodiment of the invention illustrated, the holderhas been adapted to mount, as well, a plurality of toothbrushes, asingle toothbrush being indicated by the numeral 30. For this purpose,the top of the holder is provided with a plurality of holes 32, throughwhich the handle of the toothbrush can be stabbed in the mannerillustrated. The lower end of each toothbrush is held in proper relationby providing a semicircular flange 34 on the bottom 16, and moldedintegrally therewith. The semicircular flanges 34 being repeated acrossthe width of the holder in the manner illustrated in both FIG. 1 andFIG. 3, and preferably connect to each other and to the back 12. Anywater draining from the toothbrush normally will be caught in the flange34 and will evaporate therefrom.

In the preferred embodiment, the rack is provided with a mounting meansadapted to be secured to a supporting surface such as a wall and towhich the rack itself is detachably secured. A- typical mounting meansof this type may comprise a bracket which has deposited on a surfacethereof a pressure sensitive adhesive, thereby to secure the bracket tothe wall. The rack is provided with structure designed to cooperate withthe bracket to detachably secure the rack to the wall. A characteristictype of cooperating structure between the rack and the bracket would beatongue and groove, or a pin and a reCQsS. It is preferred that thebracket be of such a size and design and the cooperating structurebetween the bracket and the back to be so selected that the rackcompletely covers the bracket and is mounted flush with the wall.

The device of the invention is of material assistance in a bathroom, abedroom, or the like, to orderly hold and position a plurality of combsand other articles which may otherwise betossed into a drawer, wherethey are not only difficult to pick out but are also unsanitary.

Because the comb is retained in the rack by the coaction between theresilient teeth. of the comb and the sharp edges of the slots, the combsare frictionally retained even when the rack is removed from the walland inverted. This featureis particularly important because it allowsone to simply remove the device along with the contents thereof from thewall and place it in a suitcase for traveling.

While one complete embodiment of the invention has been disclosedherein, it will be appreciated that modification of this particularembodiment of the invention may be resorted to without departing fromthe scope of theinvention as defined in the appended claims.

The invention, claimed is:

1. A rack for supporting combs and other like articles having anelongated body and a series of spaced teeth depending therefrom, and atoothbrush holder comprising a. one piece, thin, molded plastic,box-shaped body having a flat rectangular back, first and secondvertical sides formed integral with the back, a horizontal top side anda horizontal'bottom side integral with the back and joined integrally atthe corners with said first and second vertical sides, said first andsecond sides each having a front edge correspondingly spacially removedfrom said back, said first and second sides being perpendicular to andintegrally formed with said back, said first and second sides hflvingaplurality of horizontally aligned, angularlydownwardly directed slotsalong the forward edges thereof, said slots being V-tapered from a wideopening at the edge to an apex at their termination, said slotsterminating at a point remote from said back, said edges of said slotsandth sides being substantially tapered to form narrow forwardmost endsto facilitate stabbing the teeth of the comb into each horizontallyaligned pair of slots, for positioning therein, saidtop side having aplurality of holes therein of a size and shape which Will accommodatethe handle of a toothbrush, an integral handle restraining flange formedon the upper surface of said horizontal bottom side as a series ofhalf-round loops with the edges ofthe loopsengaging and being affixed tothe front surface of said back, said half-rounded loops forming closedcompartments wit-h opened tops to receive the handle of a toothbrush,said half-rounded loops being substantially vertically aligned withthe'holes through said top side, a

bracket adapted to be secured to a wall, cooperating structureinterconnecting said bracket and said rack, ,and detachably securingsaid rack to the wall, said bracket being invisible when the rack ismounted on the wall and said bracket being designed to mount said rackflush with the wall.

2. A rack for supporting combs and the like articles having an elongatedbody and a series of spacial teeth depending therefrom comprising a backmember, integrally formed with said back member and extendingperpendicular therefrom in spaced relationship witheach other are a topand bottom member, first and second sides formed integrally with theback member and the bottom and top members, said first side beingprovided with a plurality of vertical forward edge spaced downwardlydirected notches, said second side being provided with a similarplurality of vertical forward edge spaced downwardly directed notcheshorizontally aligned with those of said first side, said vertical sideshaving across-sectional dimension greater than the normal spacingbetween immediately adjacent depending teeth, the forward edge of saidnotches being inwardly tapered to provide an increasing frictionalmounting surface for support of said comb, with the inward penetrationof said notches being substantially removed from said back member, saidtop member having a plurality of holes formed therein proximate the backmember, and formed upon the upper surface of said bottom member are aseries of half-round loops, said apertures being of a dimension toreceive the handle portion of a toothbrush and said half-round loopsproviding a retaining surface to maintain the handle in an uprightposition, said apertures and retaining means being provided proximatethe backward edge in noninterfering relationship with any combssupported in said notches.

References Cited by. the Examiner ,UNITED STATES PATENTS D. 179,7182/1957 Cornett 248T-113 D. 180,644 7/1957 Flockner 2 1 165 671,4864/1901 Laumann 248224 689,667 12/1901 Blakeslee 211.6=9 1,491,994- 4/1924 McDermott 211- X 1,615,571 1/1927 Crecelius 248-.-1;10 X 1,625,2024/1927 Gindick 211-65 1,876,828 9/1932 Ashfield 206 15.1 X 2,456,85012/1948 Willis 211,65 X 2,608,294 8/1952 Ward 206fi15.1 2,959,29211/1960 Simrners 21j1.13

CLAUDE A. LE ROY, Primary Examiner.

FRANK L. ABBOTT, Examiner-

1. A RACK FOR SUPPORTING COMBS AND OTHER LIKE ARTICLES HAVING ANELONGATED BODY AND A SERIES OF SPACED TEETH DEPENDING THEREFROM, AND ATOOTHBRUSH HOLDER COMPRISING A ONE PIECE, THIN, MOLDED PLASTIC,BOX-SHAPED BODY HAVING A FLAT RECTANGULAR BACK, FIRST AND SECONDVERTICAL SIDES FORMED INTEGRAL WITH THE BACK, A HORIZONTAL TOP SIDE ANDA HORIZONTAL BOTTOM SIDE INTEGRAL WITH THE BACK AND JOINED INTEGRALL ATTHE CORNERS WITH SAID FIRST AND SECOND VERTICAL SIDES, SAID FIRST ANDSECOND SIDES EACH HAVING A FRONT EDGE CORRESPONDINGLY SPACIALLY REMOVEDFROM SAID BACK, SAID FIRST AND SECOND SIDES BEING PERPENDICULAR TO ANDINTEGRALLY FORMED WITH SAID BACK, SAID FIRST AND SECOND SIDES HAVING APLURALITY OF HORIZONTALLY ALIGNED, ANGULARLY DOWNWARDLY DIRECTED SLOTSALONG THE FORWARD EDGES THEREOF, SAID SLOTS BEING V-TAPERED FROM A WIDEOPENING AT THE EDGE TO AN APEX AT THEIR TERMINATION, SAID SLOTSTERMINATING AT A POINT REMOTE FROM SAID BACK, SAID EDGES OF SAID SLOTSAND THE SIDES BEING SUBSTANTIALLY TAPERED TO FORM NARROW FORWARDMOSTENDS TO FACILITATE STABBING THE TEETH OF THE COMB INTO EACH HORIZONTALLYALIGNED PAIR OF SLOTS, FOR POSITIONING THEREIN, SAID TOP SIDE HAVING APLURALITY OF HOLES THEREIN OF A SIZE AND SHAPE WHICH WILL ACCOMMODATETHE HANDLE OF A TOOTHBRUSH, AN INTEGRAL HANDLE RESTRAINING FLANGE FORMEDON THE UPPER SURFACE OF SAID HORIZONTAL BOTTOM SIDE AS A SERIES OFHALF-ROUND LOOPS WITH THE EDGES OF THE LOOPS ENGAGING AND BEING AFFIXEDTO THE FRONT SURFACE OF SAID BACK, SAID HALF-ROUNDED LOOPS FORMINGCLOSED COMPARTMENTS WITH OPENED TOPS TO RECEIVE THE HANDLE OF ATOOTHBRUSH, SAID HALF-ROUNDED LOOPS BEING SUBSTANTIALLY VERTICALLYALIGNED WITH THE HOLES THROUGH SAID TOP SIDE, A BRACKET ADAPTED TO BESECURED TO A WALL, COOPERATING STRUCTURE INTERCONNECTING SAID BRACKETAND SAID RACK, AND DETACHABLY SECURING SAID RACK TO THE WALL, SAIDBRACKET BEING INVISIBLE WHEN THE RACK IS MOUNTED ON THE WALL AND SAIDBRACKET BEING DESIGNED TO MOUNT SAID RACK FLUSH WITH THE WALL.